1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a vacuum sleeve for use with a surgical appliance. More particularly, this invention relates to a vacuum sleeve for removing severed tissue from the surgical site for use with a surgical appliance having a cutting element and for connection to a vacuum source or the like.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
Surgical instruments have been developed which enable a surgeon to resect tissue from a surgical site. Usually such surgical instruments include a scissor-like handpiece for reciprocating a distal cutter relative to a stationary jaw.
In operation of such resection devices, it is usual for the surgeon to insert the distal portion of the surgical appliance within the surgical site and then to pivot the scissor arms in order to move the cutter relative to the jaw for cutting small portions of tissue from the surgical site. Instruments of the aforementioned type have many applications in the surgical art but have particular application in the art of knee joint surgery or arthroscopy. Many variations of the aforementioned concept have been proposed including instruments in which the distal end is curved in various directions in order to provide ease of access to the surgical site.
As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, when tissue is removed from the surgical site, it is necessary that such removed tissue be carried away from the cutter. Therefore, in order to assist in the removal of such tissue, surgical tools have been developed that have a hollow tubular member extending between the cutter towards the handle of the appliance so that when vacuum is applied to the hollow tubular member, tissue is drawn away from the distal end of the appliance.
However, in view of the multiplicity of angular configurations of the tubular member that are required in order to successfully carry out such resection, it has been necessary to equip an operating theater with a very large number of variously-shaped resection appliances, each of which must be provided with a relatively complex vacuum drainage system.
The present invention seeks to overcome the aforementioned problem and associated expense by providing a flexible sleeve which may be slipped over the top of surgical appliances of various angular configurations. The vacuum sleeve includes a passageway attached to a source of vacuum such that tissue may be removed from the cutter away from the surgical site.
The primary advantage of the aforementioned flexible vacuum sleeve, is the avoidance of the need of a multiplicity of costly resection tools including relatively complex hollow tubular members for the extraction of the removed tissue.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,751,908 to Wallace teaches a surgical instrument for enabling a surgeon to remove a polyp from the wall of a nasal passage. The instrument includes a pair of scissor-like hand grips, a tubular extension and a cutter and jaw disposed at the distal end of the extension. In operation of the device, when the cutter is disposed adjacent the polyp to be removed and with suction applied to a flexible conduit extending from adjacent the handle to the jaw, the surgeon blocks an air passage in the flexible conduit thereby creating a suction at the distal end of the instrument adjacent to the polyp. The polyp is then drawn by the suction effect towards the cutter and the surgeon is able to remove the polyp by actuating the cutter relative to the jaw. With the polyp removed by the cutter, the surgeon removes the obstruction from the vacuum tube and removes the surgical instrument from the nasal passage.
The aforementioned patent teaches the use of a controlled vacuum source in order to draw a polyp towards the cutter but does not teach the removal of the polyp along and through the vacuum tube.
The present invention is directed towards the provision of a surgical instrument for progressively removing tissue from a surgical site as such particles of tissue are cut from the site. Such particles of tissue are removed without the necessity for removing the distal end of the surgical instrument from the surgical site.
Therefore, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide a vacuum sleeve for removing severed tissue from a surgical site for use with a surgical appliance having a cutting element. The vacuum sleeve is used with a plurality of surgical instruments having various angular configurations.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of a vacuum sleeve for use with a surgical appliance having a cutting element. The vacuum sleeve is flexible thereby enabling the sleeve to slide over a plurality of differently shaped instruments.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of a vacuum sleeve for removing severed tissue from a surgical site, the vacuum sleeve being discarded after use.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of a vacuum sleeve for removing severed tissue from a surgical site for use with a surgical appliance in which the sleeve includes an input aperture disposed in the distal end of an elongated body member for facilitating the flow of tissue severed from the surgical site along an internal passageway of the body member.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of a vacuum sleeve for a surgical appliance in which the body member is of a unitary plastic material thereby reducing the cost of the same.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of a vacuum sleeve for a surgical appliance in which the internal passageway of the body member frictionally receives the surgical appliance therein.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of a vacuum sleeve for a surgical appliance in which the end wall of the body member forms an angle relative to the body member to facilitate insertion of the vacuum sleeve into the surgical site.
The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects of the present invention. These objects should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the invention. Many other beneficial results can be attained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or modifying the invention within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention and the detailed description describing the preferred embodiment in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.